China and Rwanda established diplomatic relations on November 12, 1971. Since then, the bilateral friendly cooperative relations have been developing steadily. The two countries have conducted extensive exchanges and cooperation in political, economic, cultural, people-to-people as well as international affairs.

In March 2017, President Paul Kagame made an official visit to China and held a meeting with President Xi Jinping. In July 2018, at the invitation of President Kagame, President Xi paid a successful state visit to Rwanda which marked the first ever visit of a Chinese President to Rwanda. The two Heads of State reached an important consensus of deepening cooperation in various fields under the new circumstances and made overall plans for the future growth of relations between the two countries.

There are frequent exchanges and communications between the two countries' ruling parties, the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF). Both Parties share a passion for the progress of their countries and the benefits for their peoples. 

China-Rwanda economic and trade relations, mutually beneficial in nature, are flourishing in infrastructure, e-commerce, agriculture and so on.

The two countries also collaborate closely in sectors like education and health. In 1976, the Chinese Government started to provide Rwanda with scholarships covering different fields. Currently, there are more than two thousand Rwandan students studying in China. Since 1982, China has been dispatching medical teams to Rwanda. And by now, more than 260 doctors have worked in Rwanda.